Packing or shipping box.



J H MILLS v PACKING 0R SHIPPING BOX. APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 190s.

1,077,890. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

'2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

A m ll.

Eye/ 2557" (OLUIIIA mum 00-.WAIMXGI'OK. D. C.

JOSEPH ivIILLs, or RICHMOND, INDIANA.

PACKING 0R SHIPPING EBOX.

Specificationof Letters Eatent.

Patented Nov. 4,1913.

Application filed. January 13, 1906. :Serial No. $95,952.

To all whom at may concern Y Be it known that I, Josnrn H. MILLs, a citizen of the United States, residing ati Richmond, KVayne county, Indiana, have in- I vented a certain new and useful Packing or; Shipping Box, of which the following is a; specification.

My invention relates to packing or shipping boxes for general purposes, .and the, object thereof is to provide a novel and :efli- 1 cient box of this character possessing unany material advantages over the usual solid wooden packing box, chiefamong which ,advantages may be mentioned cheapness in price, lightness in weight and durability, as well as strength and rigidity.

Although as just stated, my ,packing box may .be used for general purposes, yet for aclear and definite description of my invention, I have chosen :to show the same as adapted for the shipment and containing of caskets, such ,packingcase embodyingcertain specific features which are useful in a case employed for this special purpose.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa perspective of the complete packing box or case; Fig. 2 a cross section thereof; Fig. 3 a plan view of the box with the .lid or cover removed, :a corner being broken away itO show a fragmentary intermediate horizontal section; Fig. eta longitudinal section of the box or case; Fig. 5 a sectional view of one corner of a box illustrating a construction in which the spaces in the Ehollow frame are filled with cement, concrete or the like.

Before describing my invention in connection with the 'particular embodiment thereof herein shown, I will state that the box or case may partake of different forms and be made in different dimensions and proportions and also that the same may be modified in specific construction to adapt it for special uses or requirements without departing from the generic idea of my invention. I will :now proceed to describe my invention in connection with the specific embodiment thereof in'a'case or box intended for the shipment and containing of caskets, without intention of limitation thereof.

As herein shown the box or-cas'e is of rectangular form and comprises six sides, including the top and bottom which are also designated as sides, generically considered. 'In the .present instance,all.of the six sides of I the box :are made of .a novel and original 2 construction by beingcomposed of WOOClZLHd metal combined, although oneor more of these sides may be otherwlse constructed,

for instance, they may be made of solid wood as may be desired by the purchaser, but 1t is preferable to have all of the sides E constructed as :herein shown for the purpose of obtaining the advantages, .among others, of cheapness in price and lightness in weight. d/Vith this understanding, the box will be described as herein shown with all of the sides composed of the combined wood and metal construction.

Referring first to the two parallel and similar sides proper, each comprises a wooden frame A, to which is secured on one or both sides (in the present instance on the inner side) a strip of metal B, preferably sheet steel, which is fastened orsecured to the inner side of such frame in suitable manner, as by nailing or otherwise. This frame A consists of two longitudinal and parallel stripsa near the top and bottom of the box, whichstrips are connected at their ends by means of cross pieces a By preference, one or more cross braces a are arranged between andalong the length of the strips a at intervals, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. By preference, the parts of the frame are held together by corrugated fasteners a which bring and hold the parts of the frame inclose attachment. By preference, the sheet metal strip B is made con- .tinuous throughout the entire length of the box, for the purpose of securing the full tensile strength thereof, although the same might be made in sections, but not with "such advantageous results. lfhe two opposite shorter sides, which may be deslgnated :astheendaare likewisecomposed of a frame C consisting of four woodenstrips 0 which .are held together in the same manner as the parts composing the side frame A. These ends are likewise formed of a combined wood and metal constructionand to this end a strip ofsheet metal 1) is secured preferably to the innerside of the frame C. As herein more particularly explained, the :metal strips may be-secured {t6 both-sides of the frames A and C, instead ofone side only. a

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the top or lid is also made of the combined wood and metal construction, thesame comprising, in

{the present instance, .a frame' E formed of 'wood. and comprising the two longitud nal and parallel wooden strips 6 and which are connected at their ends by means of the cross strips 0 By preference, especially in a box of the length and dimensions herein shown, a cross brace or braces 0 may be ar ranged intermediate the length of the side strip 6 and be connected thereto. To this top frame E and preferably on the inner side thereof a strip of sheet metal F is secured in suitable manner as by nailing or otherwise, this metal stripbeing preferably made in a single piece to obtain the advantage of the full tensile strength thereof in the same manner as in respect to the sheet metal strip B. As will be obvious, the metal strip F might be applied to the outer face of the wooden frame E and also that two similar sheet metal strips F might be applied to opposite sides of such frame.

The bottom of the box is, in the present instance, also 'made of the combined wood and metal construction comprising, as herein shown, a wooden frame consisting of longitudinal and parallel strips g connected at their ends by means of cross pieces or strips 9 and by preference connected at one or more points intermediate their length by means of the cross braces 9 and comprising also the strip of sheet metal H, which is secured, as by nailing to the lower side or face of the wooden frame. Also by preference, for the purpose of protecting and strengthening both ends of the box to avoid breakage or damage in shipping, the end or cross strips g are connected with the end cross braces by means of comparatively short longitudinal braces 9 As clearly in dicated in Fig. 8, which represents a plan view of the box with the lid or cover removed, these longitudinal braces extend only part way of the length of the box, but the arrangement is such as to effectually brace and strengthen both ends of the box. However, in the particular embodiment of my invention in the specific box or case as herein shown, these braces 9 do not extend farther than the first cross bra ces from either end, with the result that the spaces between these particular cross braces and the middle cross brace are left free and unobstructed from side to side of the box, so that the usual straps employed for lowering a casket therein at the time of burial, and likewise the clamps of the automatic machine for such lowering, may be readily removed from around the casketj The parts of the box just described are assembled to the position illustrated in the drawings and are securely held together in suitable manner. In the present instance the frames A and C of the vertical sides proper, comprising the side and end sections of the box, are fastened together by being secured to the four wooden corner pieces I (see Fig. 3), in any suitable manner,'as by nailing. The bottom is secured to the four sides proper in suitable manner, as by nailing, while the top or lid which requires to be readily removable for its present purposes is secured to such sides in re movable manner, as by means of the screws 6 As is well known, a packing box or case to have the proper strength and rigidity to withstand the great strains incident to shipping thereof requires to be made of solid wood of considerable thickness and strength, with the result that not only the weight, but the cost of the box is materially increased and at the same time the cost of shipping or transporting the box and its contents by express or freight is likewise materially increased. Moreover, the wood or lumber from which ordinary shipping boxes or cases are made comes in regular standard lengths and widths so that the boxes are also necessarily of the same relative dimensions, if any waste of the wood or lumber is to be avoided. Furthermore, in respect to lumber, the increase in length and width causes an increase in the cost in a ratio greater than a regular ratio. 011 the other hand, packing boxesor cases constructed in accordance with my invention are not subject to the same restrictions either in dimensions or cost or weight, inasmuch as I am enabled to produce a packing box or case which is comparatively light and inexpensive in comparison with the size, strength and rigidity thereof. In addition, the box may be made of any desired dimen sions, inasmuch as the parts forming the same are built up of any desired size. Again, a considerable advantage in respect to economy results from the employment, in my box or case, of the shorter lengths and narrower widths of lumber which are inexpensive as compared with the ordinary standard lengths and widths of lumber used for packing boxes, especially those of the larger size. Furthermore, inasmuch as the component parts of my box or case in its preferred form are composed of a manufactured product as distinguished from the ordinary lumber, several additional advantages are possessed by my box or case. For instance, inasmuch as my lumber construc tion can be made to accurate dimensions and to correct shape and as both the dimensions and the shape will necessarily be maintained, the box or case made up of such product is likewise accurate in these respects, and, as another resulting advantage, no waste or loss of material arises as in the use of ordinary lumber where considerable Waste exists owing to what is known as checking and to other defects in the wood. Again, economy in labor results from the use of my lumber construction, inasmuch as the parts, being accurate as to shape and dimensions, require no truing or fitting to make the efiicient and serviceable box or case herein referred to.

As hereinbefore suggested, the wooden frames, or at least some of them, particularly the frames of the four sides, may be provided on opposite sides with the metal strips, Fig. 5, so as to form a hollow interior space or spaces between said metal strips, which spaces may be filled with different materials according to different uses to which the box or case may be adapted. For instance, in the event that the box is to be employed for the purpose of containing the casket in the grave, such spaces may be filled with cement, X, with the result that a case or vault as efficient and desirable as the ordinary brick or cement vault may be obtained. When my box or case is made in this manner, the cement will be introduced after it has been placed in position in the grave, so that the box may be shipped and handled while in its lighter condition and thereafter be made to serve not only as the containing box for the casket, but also as the mold for the cement. Provision can be readily made for the introduction of the cement into said spaces, for instance portions of the upper wooden strips 64 may be made sectional and removable or be hinged so as to expose such spaces.

My packing box or case is substantially .air, water and moisture proof when the parts thereof are properly and carefully joined together, but to assure the thorough sealing of all the joints, I provide packing at the proper places. For instance, as indicated in Fig. 3, I interpose packing strips J between the corner pieces I and sides proper of the box and in addition, (see Fig. I provide strips J of packing along the bottom rails or strips a and the bot-tom of the box.

In respect to the sealing of the lid of the box, I provide a novel and efficient arrangement which is used in preference to ordinary strips of packing simply interposed between the lid and the upper edges of the sides proper of the box. As shown inFig. 2, the sheet metal strips of the sides proper are somewhat extended so as to project laterally above the top edges of the sides proper when the lid is removed. These top edges of the sheet metal strips also curve inwardly so as to form a pocket to receive packing J .As a result of this construction, a tight joint or seal is obtained, inasmuch as the lid will bear both against the top edges of the extended sheet metal strips and also upon the packing J Besides possessing theadvantage of being air, water and -moisture proof, especially when the packings or gaskets are employed,my form of box also possesses the advantage of being less subject to fire,.inasmuch as a comparatively small portion ofthe entire area of the box is composed of wood, when all of its sides, including the top and bottom, are made of the composite structure described.

I claim:

1. A rectangular box or case comprising side, end and bottom sections, each side and end section being composed of a skeleton wooden frame and an imperforate flat sheet of metal of substantially the same dimensions secured to the inner face thereof, and

cornerstrips arranged at the inner corners of the box to secure the sides and ends together, and packing arranged between such corner strips and the adjacent sides and ends.

2. A rectangular box or case, comprising side, end, bottom and top sections, the top section and each side and end section being composed of a skeleton wooden frame and an imperforate flat sheet of metal secured to the inner face thereof and the sheet metal of the side and end sections projecting slightly above the top edges of the frames and inwardly thereof, and packing arranged between said projecting edges of the sheet metal and frames of said sections, whereby the box is sealed at the top when the top section is in place.

3. A box or case having sides including the vertical sides proper and the top and bottom, said vertical sides being composed of wooden frames and sheet metal secured to the inner faces of the frames and projecting slightly above and inwardly from the top edges thereof, corner pieces at the corners of the vertical sides for joining the latter together, a top composed of a wooden frame and sheet metal secured to its inner face, and a. bottom composed of a wooden frame and sheet metal secured to its outer or bottom face, packing being arranged between the corner strips and the frames of the vertical sides, and between the edges of the vertical frames and the bottom, and also between said projecting edge of the sheet metal and the frames of the vertical sides at the top edges thereof, whereby the box is sealed.

JOSEPH H. MILLS. Witnesses:

S. E. HIBBEN, LOUIS B. ERWIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

